Author: Madatian Greg

THE POPE IS RIGHT: LET TURKEY INTO THE EU

National Post (Canada)
November 29, 2006 Wednesday
Toronto Edition

Rarely do pontiffs create geopolitical sparks of the sort Pope
Benedict XVI set off yesterday during a visit to Turkey. According
to Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the Pope stated
that he now supports Turkey’s bid to join the European Union —
a reversal from his pre-papal opposition to EU membership for the
largely Muslim country. The Pope also told the press: "The best way
forward is via authentic dialogue between Christians and Muslims,
based on truth and inspired by a sincere wish to know one another
better, respecting differences and recognizing what we have in common."

All these fine words may have been motivated by the Pope’s desire
to mend fences in the wake of his controversial Sept. 12 speech,
which many Muslims believed contained a grave insult to Islam.

Nevertheless, the Pope’s flip-flop on Turkey joining the EU is welcome.

Turkey is an officially secular nation. Indeed, it applies the division
between church and state more strictly than any Western country. It
is also a NATO member, a Western ally in the Middle East, a friend
to Israel and a loyal partner in the war against terrorism.

After over 40 years as an associate member of the European Union,
and with an improving human rights record, the country deserves an
opportunity for full membership.

That is not to say the Turks’ membership application doesn’t have
its blemishes. For instance, the country is maddeningly stubborn
in refusing to admit its genocidal treatment of Armenians during
the First World War. Ankara also has shown itself inflexible in its
quarrel with the EU over the status of Cyprus, itself an EU member.

In particular, Turkey refuses to trade with the Greek-speaking half
of the island. This, despite the fact that the EU made it clear more
than a year ago that ending this dispute would be a condition for
entering formal EU membership talks.

But such matters can be negotiated and should not be allowed to stand
in the way of cementing Turkey’s place in the Western camp by allowing
it into the EU.

The Pope was correct when he told Prime Minister Erdogan that Turkey
is a bridge between religions and cultures. Now that so much of
the interaction between the Muslim world and the West has all the
appearances of a clash of civilizations, this is the sort of bridge
that Europe — and the entire Western world — very much needs.

ARMENIA, AZERBAIJAN REPORT MORE PROGRESS ON KARABAKH
By Harry Tamrazian in Prague, Karine Kalantarian and Ruzanna Stepanian

Radio Liberty, Czech Rep.
Nov 29 2006

Armenia and Azerbaijan have reported further progress towards
the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, with Azerbaijani
President Ilham Aliev saying that the peace process is nearing
its "final phase" following his latest meeting with his Armenian
counterpart Robert Kocharian.

"I can say that we are already approaching the final phase of
negotiations," Aliev told Azerbaijani state television, commenting
on his face-to-face talks with Kocharian held in Minsk late Tuesday.

In remarks broadcast on Wednesday, Aliev said the two leaders reached
agreement on unspecified "several issues" that have precluded the
signing of a framework peace accord so far. "But there are still
contentious issues, and the two presidents spoke about them," he
added without elaborating.

Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian, who accompanied Kocharian on the
Minsk trip, echoed Aliev’s positive mood as he spoke to journalists
on his return to Yerevan on Tuesday night. "They [the presidents]
mainly concentrated on the issues in the document [put forward by
international mediators] on which no agreement has been reached,"
he said. "I cannot say concretely whether progress was made or not,
but both presidents assessed the meeting as positive in terms of
atmosphere and constructive approaches."

"I think that the Armenian and Azerbaijani presidents will analyze
everything in detail within a few days and give precise instructions
to the foreign ministers about their future work," added Oskanian.

Kocharian declined to personally comment on the crucial negotiations
that were held on the sidelines of a summit of ex-Soviet states and
were seen as the last real chance to find a near-term solution to
the Karabakh dispute. His press secretary, Victor Soghomonian, said
he has nothing to add to Oskanian’s statements.

Kocharian’s most influential associate and potential successor, Serzh
Sarkisian, also failed to shed more light on the Armenian-Azerbaijani
summit, claiming that he is not yet informed about its results.

Sarkisian reiterated instead that he is committed to achieving a
"dignified peace" with Azerbaijan based on "mutual compromise," even
if that means liberating most of the Armenian-controlled Azerbaijani
territories around Karabakh.

"I have never specified whether we should surrender 15 meters, 20
meters or 500 kilometers [of land]," he told reporters on Wednesday.

"That’s not important to me. The important thing is to have mutual
compromise."

Armenian withdrawal from at least six of the seven Armenian-occupied
districts in Azerbaijan proper is one of the key elements of the
international mediators’ peace plan currently discussed by the
conflicting parties. Under that plan, the troop withdrawal would be
followed by a referendum of self-determination in Karabakh.

Aliev and Kocharian failed to agree on the proposed peace deal during
their previous face-to-face encounters earlier this year, all but
dashing hopes for a resolution of the conflict before presidential
elections due in both Armenia and Azerbaijan in 2008. Armenia will
also hold parliamentary elections next spring.

Oskanian admitted that the unfolding election period will make it
more difficult for the parties to cut an unpopular compromise deal,
but insisted that it "will not interrupt" the negotiating process. He
would not say if there is any chance of an Armenian-Azerbaijani accord
signed before the 2007 polls.

Reports in the Russian press said this week that the Armenian and
Azerbaijani leaders might meet again on the fringes of another CIS
summit expected to take place in Moscow early next month. Kocharian’s
spokesman declined to confirm or deny the information.

ARMENIANS BLAME GEORGIA FOR "ARMENIAN GENOCIDE"

TREND, Azerbaijan
Nov 29 2006

Armenians blame Georgia for "Armenian Genocide". The materials spread
by Armenian Centre "Mirk" functioning in Yerevan speaks about it.

According to researches and studies of scientists of the Centre,
it was Georgian Army that committed genocide against Armenians
during military hostilities in Abkhazia in the beginning of 1990s in
Abkhazia. The Armenian scientists cite numerous facts and evidence
given by Armenian population of Abkhazia. They also say that official
Tbilisi is continuing to carry out the same destructive policy in
Samtzkhe-Javakheti, which populated with ethnic Armenians.

Georgia has become the fourth country after Turkey, Russia, and
Azerbaijan, "Armenian historians-researches" blame for committing
the so-called "Armenian Genocide".

ELECTION 2007 IS ALREADY ILLEGITIMATE

Lragir, Armenia
Nov 27 2006

Felix Khachatryan, the representative of Ardarutiun Alliance to the
Central Electoral Commission, stated during the discussion at the
National Press Club today that even if the parliamentary election in
2007 is held without ballot stuffing, it can already be considered
as illegitimate. Felix Khachatryan mentioned that when the Electoral
Code provision on including judges in the electoral commission was
defined as unconstitutional, possibility for illegality multiplied.

According to the representative of the Central Electoral Commission,
now the judges must be replaced by members, who will be appointed by
another force. According to the law, the members of the commission
must be trained. Meanwhile, the deadline for applying for training is
over, says Felix Khachatryan and concludes that the new force cannot
appoint members with training to 2000 commissions. Meanwhile, the
decision of the Constitutional Court that it is unconstitutional to
include judges in the electoral commissions shows that the ministry of
justice of Armenia is not competent, because it approved the provision
on including judges, despite the warnings of the opposition that it
is unconstitutional.

Besides, Felix Khachatryan touched upon the referendum on Constitution
held last year, which was falsified severaly, and stained this
government, he says. In a year after the referendum Felix Khachatryan
presented the final record he had refused to sign, saying that
there were 1 million false votes. This record contains information
about 10 thousand ballots which were printed but were not taken to
the polling stations. "Where did they go?" Felix Khachatryan asks a
year later. Besides, he refers to a record of two polling stations
in Yerevan about 1700-1800 irregularities, whereas the final general
record states only 1500 irregularities.

ARMENIA FM REACHES OUT TO TURKEY ON GENOCIDE RECOGNITION
by Haro Chakmakjian

Agence France Presse — English
November 26, 2006 Sunday 2:00 AM GMT

Armenian Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian is reaching out to historical
foe Turkey to normalise ties as the key step toward a political
settlement on the ultra-sensitive issue of genocide recognition.

"For Armenia, recognition (of the genocide) by Turkey is not
a precondition for normal, good neighbourly relations," the
Harvard-educated minister told AFP in an interview during a
presidential visit to Cyprus.

Nine decades after what the Armenians, backed by many historians,
term the genocide of some 1.5 million of their people in the Ottoman
empire, Oskanian said both countries needed to "transcend" the horrors
of their common past.

"This obstacle (of Turkish recognition) can be removed and memories
can be ameliorated by new experiences, by interaction between the
Turkish and Armenian people as neighbours," he said.

However, Oskanian scoffed at a proposal from Turkish Prime Minister
Tayyip Recep Erdogan for historians from both sides to form a
commission to study the bloody events of 1915-1917, which Ankara
refuses to classify as genocide.

"Erdogan’s suggestion was a smokescreen," he charged, asking how
any joint commission could be set up without diplomatic ties between
Ankara and Yerevan, capital of Armenia which gained independence from
the ex-Soviet Union in 1991.

"This is a political issue. You’ve got to address this issue from a
political angle."

Oskanian was also critical of what he called Turkey’s new "state
policy" of denial even as more countries join the ranks of states
that officially recognise the genocide.

"As more countries recognise, Turkey becomes — as the record shows —
more aggressive in its policy of denial … The Turks have never been
this organised at a state level to pursue a policy of denial," he said.

Oskanian pointed to an article in Turkish law which punishes those
who refer to the events of 1915 as genocide.

Dozens of intellectuals — among them 2006 Nobel literature laureate
Orhan Pamuk — have been brought to court under an amendment in the
penal law that makes it a crime to denigrate Turkish identity or
insult state institutions.

The French parliament’s adoption of a bill making public denial of
the genocide in France punishable by law was "a clear reaction to
the aggressive denialist policies of the Turkish government", he said.

Oskanian held little hope in Washington exerting pressure on its
Turkish ally on the genocide issue because of its strategic interests,
but it "must be more assertive in calling on Turkey to open the border"
and normalise ties.

The minister, who himself was born in Syria, denied any gulf between
Yerevan and Armenians of the diaspora, who outnumber their three
million compatriots in Armenia and have been at the forefront of a
worldwide recognition campaign.

"It’s the moral obligation of every Armenian in diaspora and in
Armenia to remember and to pursue recognition because we think that
will be the minimum compensation after almost 100 years," said the
51-year-old minister.

"Today we pursue recognition in different countries through their
parliaments and that can only be pursued by their countries’ citizens."

Oskanian tried to allay concerns that recognition could lead to
claims for compensation. "Armenia today has on its foreign policy
agenda only the issue of genocide recognition. That’s what we are
after as a nation," he said.

But he admitted that the conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh, a region inside
neighbouring Azerbaijan, where the Armenians set up a breakaway state
in 1992, posed a major obstacle for ties with Turkey.

Ankara’s "unequivocal solidarity with Azerbaijan also works against
Turkey because it undermines their credibility and weight in the
Caucusus … and their claim to be a bridge between East and West",
he charged.

Oskanian dismissed any similarity between Karabakh and a self-declared
Turkish Cypriot statelet in north Cyprus, insisting the former emerged
from the collapse of the Soviet Union and the latter from a recognised
UN member state.

He acknowledged that Cyprus, with its division, and Armenia were
proving obstacles to Turkey’s ambition to join the European Union,
but denied the two countries were working against Ankara.

"The purpose of our visit (to Cyprus) was to activate economic ties.

We do have common issues we discussed but we never ganged up against
anyone," Oskanian said.

On Friday, Armenian President Robert Kocharian, who hails from
Karabakh, laid the foundation stone for a genocide monument to be
built on the Larnaca seafront of Cyprus, where Armenian refugees from
Ottoman Turkey landed.

In rejecting the genocide label, Turkey argues that 250,000 to
500,000 Armenians and at least as many Turks died in civil strife
when Armenians took up arms for independence in eastern Anatolia
during World War I.

Noyan Tapan News Agency, Armenia
Nov 23 2006

VLADIMIR AGHAYAN: CASTING SHADOW ON WORLD ARMENIAN CONGRESS, ON
THRESHOLD OF ELECTIONS, LDPA ATTEMPTS TO REMIND SOCIETY ABOUT ITS
EXISTENCE

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 23, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. The Republican
Board of the Liberal Democratic Party of Armenia stated recently that
it leaves the World Armenian Congress (WAC) as it does not want to
share responsibility with that organization which does not present
reports and is inactive. Whereas, Vladimir Aghayan, as the WAC Deputy
Chairman informed the Noyan Tapan agency, the LDPA has never been a
founding member of the World Armenian Congress as the WAC is an
international public organization and was registered by the Justice
Ministry of the Russian Federation. And according to the RF
legislation, political parties do not have right to become a founding
member of a public organization about what the LDPA was informed
still in 2003. Naturally, the LDPA has never born responsibility and
will not bear for the LDPA activity, and the WAC, in its turn, is not
obliged to officially inform the LDPA about its activity.

And that activity, in V.Aghayan’s words, it rather wide-spread: one
of the main goals of the WAC activity is to gather Armenians round
national interests where there are priorities: to assist processes of
the social-economic development and strengthening of statehood of
newly-independent Armenia, of international recognition of the
genocide and liquidation of its consequences, of the Nagorno Karabakh
problem, keeping Armenians in Diaspora.

In V.Aghayan’s words, during the three years of its existence, the
WAC presented 7000 computers to schools, including not only ones of
Armenia and Artsakh, computer classes opened at Armenian schools of
Buenos Aires, San Paulo. The WAC, with its heads’ resources, bought
130 flats and gratuitously gave to refugees’ families with the right
of property. More than 350 pensioners every day get free food from
the charity dining-hall. A new school for 500 pupils is being built
at present in Stepanakert on the account of the WAC resources.

In V.Aghayan’s estimation, with a similar statement, the LDPA, at the
threshold of elections being prepared in the republic, attempts to
remind the society about its existence and in this way to appear in
the political field. And as many people prepare for the elections in
the republic, in Aghayan’s words, people will also be found, who
again touching upon the WAC or its chairman’s activity, will attempt
to draw the society’s attention at them. "I think that this way is
not honest as it turns out that for reaching political goals, they
attempt to cast a shadow on activity of such an international public
organization already entered a wide arena of activity, as the World
Armenian Congress is," the WAC Deputy Chairman said.

Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
Nov 23 2006

Akkan Suver: Azerbaijan proved that Nagorno Garabagh is not Armenian
territory

[ 23 Nov. 2006 16:56 ]

Azerbaijan has power to liberate Nagorno Garabagh with its power,
money and Armed Forces,’ Akkan Suver, the head of delegation of
Turkey Marmara Group Circle told the journalists in the briefing, APA
reports.

Saying that Azerbaijan proved the world Nagorno Garabagh is not
Armenian territory, Suver stated that official Baku’s facts are more
exact and concrete.
`Azerbaijan achieved to make its rights official. Elmar Mammadyarov
had talks with Oskanian in Slovenia two months ago. Oskanian had
nothing to say against the facts presented by Azerbaijani Minister,’
he said. /APA/

A NECESSARY AND POSITIVE STEP
Etyen Mahcupyan

Zaman, Turkey
Nov 23 2006

Undoubtedly, one of the issues that has been giving Turkey the most
trouble in recent years is the problem called the Armenian question;
however, it has a multi-faceted character, and some of these facets
are sometimes ignored. While one aspect of the issue is that a
moment in history that is perceived and known differently by the two
parties has reached a point where it can be discussed, at the same
time, another aspect implies the normalization of Turkish-Armenian
relations and the democratization of Turkey’s non-Muslim minority
policy. However, the matter doesn’t end here… Since the world is
global now, international and domestic politics are carried to a
universal dimension by means of emigrant groups in the outside world,
and the tension in the foreign countries sheltering the emigrants is
used as a part of their own political search and tactics.

On the other hand, as is always the case in this kind of bottleneck,
there are groups who aim to continue the tension on both sides and
produce ideological profit for its own political community.

Consequently, as a result of the multi-faceted pressure, demands
and manipulations coming from both inside and outside, the Armenian
issue creates paralysis. Because nation-state politics are based on an
account of mutual compromise, instead of resolving the bottleneck, it
wants to prolong it. Because whoever takes the first step will appear
as having compromised in the eyes of it own nationalist sector, and,
particularly in countries headed towards elections, taking these kinds
of courageous steps in foreign policy becomes extremely difficult. As
a result, "politics" is reduced to states mutually adorning themselves
with a "constructive" image in an effort to show the other party as
intransigent as possible.

In this way, the tendency of the periods of non-relations, which harm
both sides, to continue forever is surrendered to…Until a change
in conjecture that will break this mechanical balance appears and at
least both parties agree that non-action is a risky position with a
big price tag. This is the point to which we have come in the Armenian
issue: In respect to the external conjuncture, the main change is, as
everyone knows, the Democrats’ gaining a majority in the U.S. Congress
after a long interval. Because there is a tradition of strong relations
between the Democrats and the Armenian Diaspora and in an environment
where the Bush administration is extremely fragile due to Iraq,
the probability that a proposal for recognition of genocide will be
passed by Congress is quite high. Of course, even if it is America,
any country’s taking a political decision regarding history in another
geographical land cannot be sanctioned. However, the U.S.’s acceptance
of such a proposal may trigger a wave of "recognizing genocide" that
will spread to other countries and drag Turkey to spiritual isolation
in the global world.

For this reason, Turkey has to be pro-active regarding every facet of
the subject called the "Armenian issue." Even though the decision to
"go to court" announced by the Foreign Affairs Ministry during the
week appears to be courage imposed by necessity, it is a step taken
in the right direction. If Armenia says yes to the workings of this
kind of "arbitration" institution, at least both societies will have
a chance to know our common history and understand events from the
other’s point of view. However, of course, a legal decision includes
a risk: No one can be one-hundred percent sure of which direction
the decision will take… Consequently, regardless of what kind of
decision is taken, it shouldn’t cause the losing party to become more
introverted and give way to the habit of nurturing its identity with
traumas. The way to do this is increasing as much as possible every
kind of trade, cultural and social relations parallel to the judicial
process. Even if the Turkish-Armenian border cannot be formally opened,
it has to open in practice. Because the psychological atmosphere that
will surround the discussions may cause not only the court to review
history, but Turkey to review its current attitude.

U.S. EMBASSY CELEBRATES INTERNATIONAL DAY OF PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES FEATURING THE PAROS CHAMBER CHOIR

Panorama.am
21:10 21/11/06

On November 21, the United States Embassy in Armenia held a gala
concert featuring the Paros Chamber Choir.

The concert is dedicated to the 2006 International Day of People with
Disabilities, which is December 3.

Since the adoption and implementation of the Americans with
Disabilities Act, the United States has led by example by addressing
such issues as equal rights, accessibility and equal employment
opportunities for people with disabilities. By organizing and
sponsoring this concert, our hope is that we can raise the awareness of
the plight of people with disabilities in Armenia and around the world.

Since 1993, the Paros Chamber Choir has dazzled audiences throughout
Armenia, the Middle East and Europe with their repertoire of classic
chamber music and ethnic folk music by Armenian, Russian and Western
composers. The Paros Chamber Choir has blossomed into a beacon of
hope for people with disabilities in Armenia as most members of the
choir are individuals with spinal cord injuries.

"The United States is a leader in fighting for the rights of people
with disabilities," said Peter Abajian, Executive Director of the
Paros Foundation, a California-based foundation, which supports the
Paros Chamber Choir. "It is an honor for us to perform at the US
Embassy on such an important occasion."

Performing and rehearsing under the direction of Maestro Vachagan
Navasardyan, the Paros Chamber Choir takes its name from the Armenian
word for lighthouse.

Indeed the choir is seen as a beacon of hope by fans around the
world. The choir entertains worldwide audiences, participates in
international competitions and encourages people with disabilities to
live full and active lives. Two of the goals of the foundation are
to promote and nurturing Armenia’s culture and to help improve the
quality of lives of people with disabilities in Armenia. The Paros
Chamber Choir is a bright star within Armenia and we hope to help
them deliver their message to the world.

LEADER OF RUSSIAN ARMENIANS CLAIMS HATE CRIMES IN RUSSIA AFFECT ARMENIANS LESS THAN OTHER MINORITIES
By Ruzanna Stepanian

Radio Liberty, Czech Rep.
Nov 20 2006

A Moscow-based Armenian tycoon argues that racially motivated attacks
in Russia affect Armenians to a lesser degree than representatives
of other non-Slavic ethnic minorities.

Addressing the concerns over the recent killings of two ethnic
Armenians in Murmansk and near Moscow, Ara Abrahamian, the president of
the Union of Armenians of Russia (UAR), told Armenian intellectuals at
the Writers’ Union in Yerevan on Monday that one shouldn’t think that
only Armenians become victims of ethnic violence and get killed. On
the opposite, he said, statistics shows that representatives of other
ethnic groups, for example Azerbaijanis, are killed more frequently
in Russia.

"One killed Armenian is already too many. But Russia is a big
country. Armenians are killed not only because they are Armenians,
but they are killed because of their ‘wrong color of hair’. There is
no deliberate murder of Armenians," Abrahamian said, adding that much
fewer Armenians than Azerbaijanis or Georgians or representatives of
other [non-Slavic] ethnic groups are murdered in Russia.

According to Abrahamian, indeed there are some problems in Russia’s
law-enforcement bodies when they try to soften the motives of crimes,
besides corresponding work is not being done in public circles
to prevent such cases. But, he said, it doesn’t mean that Russian
authorities encourage such crimes.

The killings of two ethnic Armenians in the last couple of weeks
sparked a fresh outcry in Armenia. Scores of young people in Yerevan
signed a petition last Friday addressed to Armenia’s foreign minister
protesting Yerevan’s inaction and lack of policies on what they believe
to be crimes committed against Armenians in Russia on ethnic grounds.

Chairman of the UAR Murmansk regional community, businessman Artur
Harutiunian was killed next to his house on November 16. Earlier,
on November 11, an Armenian teenage boy, Narek Kocharian, was stabbed
to death on a railway near Moscow.

Galust Sahakian, who heads the parliamentary faction of the ruling
Republican Party of Armenia, told Armenian media on November 17 that
it is time the Armenian government took "serious steps" in response
to the ongoing wave of killings of Armenians in Russia.

Heghine Bisharian of the opposition Orinats Yerkir party argued that
the Armenian authorities are partly to blame for the wave of killings
as they have not created favorable economic conditions in Armenia
that would persuade Armenians who emigrated to Russia in search of
livelihood to return.

"It was, indeed, a great loss for us," Abrahamian said when asked
about the murder of the leader of the Armenian community of Murmansk.

"He [Harutiunian] had been doing a lot to organize Armenians, had
close ties with Armenia. Investigation is underway and it is in the
center of our attention," Abrahamian said, adding that it is yet very
early to express any opinion as "investigators should be allowed to
do their work."

Abrahamian said, however, that Harutiunian’s murder was not connected
with his being Armenia. He said he was a businessman and is likely
to have become a victim of "clashing interests."

Abrahamian complained that they do not get Armenia’s assistance in
preventing such cases. Meanwhile, he said, when a citizen of Armenia
is killed in Russia, Armenia must protest it vigorously.

Abrahamian also said that Armenia must clearly express its policy
towards Georgia in view of the Russian-Georgian tensions.

Russian-Georgian relations must not affect Armenia and if they do,
then in Abrahamian’s opinion Georgia must be criticized.

"Georgia should notify in advance. In case of a blockade it must give
us a way, a corridor," Abrahamian said.

Speaking about the upcoming elections in Armenia, the leader of
Russian Armenians said he is going to participate in the elections
but within the framework of the law. Commenting on what it means,
Abrahamian said that more than 500,000 citizens of Armenia who are
members of the Union of Armenians of Russia live in the Russian
Federation today. And so the Union must participate in the electoral
processes and express its opinion.

Currently, the organization led by Abrahamian studies the political
field in Armenia, what party presents what program and what political
views they have. In January 2007 the Union of Armenians of Russia
is going to announce what political force it will support in the
upcoming elections.